Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kazan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kazan: $1,181 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,589
/mo nomad
Kazan
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,181
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kazan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Kazan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Medellin versus $1,181 in Kazan.

  • Medellin $1,589
  • Kazan $1,181

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,364 in Medellin versus $1,856 in Kazan.

  • Medellin $2,364
  • Kazan $1,856

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,139 in Medellin versus $2,531 in Kazan.

  • Medellin $3,139
  • Kazan $2,531

Living in Medellin is roughly 35% more expensive than in Kazan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Kazan is 12% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Kazan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.01 COP 25.8K
$13.14 ₽1,117
-39.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.55 COP 149.9K
$38.07 ₽3,237
22.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.43 COP 30.4K
$6.06 ₽515
55.61%
Cappuccino
$2.91 COP 9,374
$3.22 ₽274
-9.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 COP 5,643
$1.35 ₽115
29.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 COP 4,263
$0.59 ₽50.0
123.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$1.75 ₽149
78.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.55 COP 17.9K
$2.42 ₽206
129.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Kazan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 COP 4,542
$1.07 ₽91.0
31.78%
White Bread (500g)
$2.44 COP 7,858
$0.68 ₽57.9
258.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 COP 5,245
$1.46 ₽124
11.64%
Eggs
$2.82 COP 9,084
$1.43 ₽121
97.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.69 COP 31.2K
$11.24 ₽955
-13.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.32 COP 30.0K
$4.38 ₽373
112.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.46 COP 43.3K
$10.64 ₽905
26.50%
Apples (1kg)
$4.00 COP 12.9K
$1.86 ₽158
115.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 COP 4,768
$1.71 ₽145
-13.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 COP 6,839
$1.85 ₽157
14.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.25 COP 7,253
$3.00 ₽255
-25.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.91 COP 6,155
$0.87 ₽73.9
119.54%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 COP 5,214
$0.52 ₽44.39
211.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,696
$1.45 ₽123
-20.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 COP 4,063
$0.75 ₽63.6
68.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.82 COP 12.3K
$3.01 ₽256
26.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.11 COP 42.2K
$7.78 ₽661
68.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 COP 5,136
$1.00 ₽84.8
60.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,263
$1.83 ₽156
23.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Kazan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,770
$0.56 ₽47.59
108.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$75.0 COP 241.5K
$18.52 ₽1,574
305.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,098
$2.32 ₽197
-45.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,600
$0.51 ₽43.18
301.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.20 COP 26.4K
$7.25 ₽617
13.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 COP 4,088
$0.80 ₽68.2
58.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K COP 86.2M
$35.1K ₽3.0M
-23.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.4K COP 110.8M
$41.2K ₽3.5M
-16.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Kazan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 COP 522.3K
$124 ₽10.6K
30.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 COP 42.3K
$5.42 ₽461
142.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.09 COP 90.5K
$7.02 ₽597
300.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Kazan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.33 COP 142.7K
$35.09 ₽2,984
26.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 COP 52.6K
$29.30 ₽2,491
-44.27%
Cinema Ticket
$6.09 COP 19.6K
$6.51 ₽554
-6.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Kazan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$764 COP 2.5M
$281 ₽23.9K
171.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,904 COP 28.7M
$6,417 ₽545.6K
38.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Kazan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.0 COP 273.6K
$89.8 ₽7,631
-5.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5 COP 185.1K
$91.2 ₽7,757
-36.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$132 COP 424.2K
$103 ₽8,733
28.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.8 COP 308.3K
$77.8 ₽6,617
23.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Kazan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$667 ₽56.7K
54.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$604 COP 1.9M
$420 ₽35.7K
43.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,802 COP 5.8M
$1,121 ₽95.3K
60.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$993 COP 3.2M
$769 ₽65.4K
29.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,921 COP 12.6M
$4,357 ₽370.4K
-10.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,639 COP 5.3M
$2,318 ₽197.1K
-29.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Kazan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$626 COP 2.0M
$935 ₽79.5K
-33.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
20.8
-47.40%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Kazan: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$604
Kazan
$420 30.5% $184
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$288
Kazan
$201 30.2% $87
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$203
Kazan
$137 32.7% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$166
Kazan
$163 2.3% $3.8
Eating Out
Medellin
$166
Kazan
$183 10.2% $17
Getting Around
Medellin
$91
Kazan
$26 71.9% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Kazan
$48 14.8% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $667 in Kazan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kazan pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $38.00 in Kazan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $201 per month, with Kazan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇷🇺 Kazan
🕒 Local time
00:36 12:36 AM
08:36 8:36 AM
8 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
1,257,341
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.02 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.36 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Kazan 11,470 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Kazan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Medellin vs Kazan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Medellin and in Kazan?
Medellin and Kazan differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,589 vs $1,181 including rent). Kazan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Kazan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Medellin and in Kazan?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,028 in Medellin versus $667 in Kazan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Kazan – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Medellin or Kazan?
All in, you'll spend $1,589 per month in Medellin versus $1,181 in Kazan – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,181 in Kazan versus $1,589 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kazan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kazan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Kazan?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Medellin or Kazan safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Medellin and Kazan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Medellin or Kazan?
Expats usually find Kazan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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